Age of Darkness
by The Nevermore Raven
Summary: You have heard of SA2 time and time again. But wait! What was Shadow thinking throughout all of this?
1. Dr Robotnik

**Age of Darkness**

Chapter I

_Dr. Robotnik_

* * *

_Still in this stupid thing!_ Warmth gradually returned to me as the frozen device that trapped me slowly rose. Through the frost of the window I could not see the dark ceiling of the room I was left in. A shaft of pipes and cables surrounded me, and the cryogenic chamber raised me up to the top of the shaft. The door opened and more heat entered my body. I placed my hands against the edge of my prison and heaved myself up. Below me a chubby man with a rounded head waited. His head was bald and shiny, and out of his nose sprouted a thick moustache. His appearance reminded me of Gerald, but I was certain Gerald was killed.

This man wore a red coat with swallowtails and goggles on his head, and he was seated in a robotic machine that stood on two legs. He looked at me with disbelief as I crossed my arms and watched him from the corner of my eye. "Is that you, Sonic, still here to foil my plans again?" I was startled. _Sonic? Who is Sonic? Does this Sonic look like me?_ I leaped from my trap and landed meters from him. I held my hand out to the fuddled man and spoke smoothly. "I am the Ultimate Life Form, designed by Gerald Robotnik. Thank you, master, for releasing me and providing the first Chaos Crystal." I could feel its presence as it sat in his arms. An alarm went off and red lights shone in the darkness. A second robotic machine walked out of the darkness. The machine fully enclosed its pilot, and two large metal crates were mounted on the weapon's shoulders. "This is Bulldog-01 reporting to Command. Project: Shadow has been released." "We copy. Keep the Project from escaping. Use any means necessary to prevent its escape," a second voice said on the radio with static.

I was irked by the statement. _Why do the fools have to call me 'Project: Shadow?' And 'it?' I hate that!_ I sighed in anger, turned to the man next to me. "Give me that Crystal, and I will show you my true power!" The man fumbled and handed me the glowing object. I gripped it in my fist as the energy flowed into my body. _Good. The Chaos Diamond is full. Time to make this bulldog stop his barking! _I dashed forward and the machine faced me.

The machine jumped and boosters fired, and it careened over to me with a machine gun on its nose blazing. I kept myself in constant motion to avoid the stream of bullets as they punctured the metal floor and sent yellow sparks flying about. My new shoes caused me to glide. _That is nice. I can conserve more energy. Then again, these shoes might make me lazy! _Soon the machine landed and the crates on its back opened to reveal rockets. Several rockets fired off and flew at me. I just dashed as they came down on me and they blindly hit the floor where I was. _Stupid missile guidance,_ I thought with a smirk. I leaped into the air and curled up, throwing myself into the pilots face.

The machine took off again and the pilot sounded shaken. "Bulldog-01 to Command; Shadow has found the weak point! Awaiting orders." "Copy, Bulldog-01. Continue launching missiles." The machine shot at me again with its gun, and I once again evaded its barrage unharmed. I felt lucky, so I jumped into the air as high as I could and rammed the cockpit, causing glass to crumble and the machine to thud. "Bulldog to Command; requesting permission to utilize cannon in battle." "Proceed," The voice replied. My body was illuminated with a red light that followed me and the nose of the battle suit glowed red. A ball of white grew on the cannon and launched towards me at high speed. I dashed out of the way and the ball of light burned the floor with fire that faded away in moments. _I have had enough. Playtime is over! _

I raised my hand and concentrated, my brow furrowed as I eyed the opponent. I yelled out. "Chaos Spear!" I launched a yellow bolt of lightning at the machine and the spear hit the crate on its back, causing the remaining rockets to explode. An orange explosion burned my eyes with its brightness and the machine was tossed backwards like a toy, landing gracelessly on its back. The cockpit opened on the machine and the pilot scrambled away from the defeated robot as it burst into flames and smoke billowed into the air. "That was amazing!" The man in the robot walker boasted. I turned to him with one command. "Return to the space colony ARK. There I will grant you a favor." "ARK!" the man repeated. I Chaos-controlled and left him there...


	2. Robbery

**Age of Darkness**

Chapter II

_Robbery _

* * *

_Hmmm... I have been in stasis hibernation for thirty years._ _I was frozen in 1972. I was released on 2001, June. Nearly thirty years have passed since I closed my eyes_. The thought sent a chill down my neck as it crawled to my spine, creeping down to my tail. _Oh, well. For all I know, it could have been two centuries!_

* * *

I searched through entries on the mainframe of ARK, seeking any other descendants of Grandfather. The screen flashed numerous folders in windows for a minute before the file was found and opened. Unlike the encrypted files concerning my development and the development of Bio, these files were not corrupted to the casual eye. If one was to decrypt and open these mentioned files on Project: Shadow, they would see titles and texts in corrupted lines and symbols. Gerald was smart enough to tweak the font and make the files appear useless.

_That must be it._ I opened the file and on it was family history of my designer. Branching out from my legal grandfather were two branches, one to John Robotnik, my adoptive father, and the other to Suzie Robotnik. Sure enough, she had a son named Ivo Robotnik. I rested my chin on my fist as I thought.

_Could that be the man I saw? Why else would he have barged through the base on Prison Island to find me? To find what his grandfather made, of course! Or he just wanted to use me for power._

I selected another file and it was a picture of Gerald and Ivo. They look the same. Good God! They look almost completely the same! My mouth gaped as I compared them. Same face, same rounded body, same thick moustache, same nose... _Ivo is not benevolent. Gerald is. Or at least he was. Ivo wants power. I will offer it to him. Trick him. He will gather the seven Chaos Crystals, and the program to end it all will be activated._ A bitter frown curved on my lips, morphing my mouth into a downward scowl. I sighed. _Now what?_ I asked myself. I looked at the weapon that could fragment a planet. The device had a codename for you readers to know later, if you do not know already. I studied it extensively.

As I opened a file, a video opened and showed my Grandfather, bound in ropes to a chair. Behind him on the wall of a jail cell were countless equations and scribbled diagrams. _What is going on? I do not remember this._ My eyes narrowed. "This is a death sentence for all of the human beings on Earth. If my calculations are correct, in 27 minutes, 53 seconds, the space colony ARK will collide with the Earth and turn it into a wasteland. I devoted my life to better mankind, and this is how you repay me? The people I helped caused the death of my family! All of you wretched, ungrateful people have destroyed everything that has mattered to me, and so I will take your lives!" A second voice spoke up. "Is there anything else you would like to say?" Gerald glared at the guards with pure hate. "No," he said dolorously. "Ready, men. FIRE!" The screen went black.

_I presume he is dead..._ I concluded as I showed a small instant of something besides hate. _One can never be sure, though. He may have escaped. No. He was old; dying away. I find his survival next to impossible. _I went back to one average room in the colony and threw myself on the bed after filling my belly with refreshing, cold water. _Water; It is nice and cold and fresh. I feel better now. But I am still hungry! I will worry about that later._ I fell into an uneasy sleep...

* * *

_When will Ivo get here?_ I watched the computer security system for the opening of any hatches or doors. I filled up on the only food on the colony that has not spoiled in thirty years. _Honey, maple syrup and frozen fruit are all I could find. The meat is locked in a stupid giant freezer._ A thought occurred to me. I grabbed my trusty crystal and ran for the freezer again. I raised my hand and aimed as the crystal glowed brighter. "Chaos Spear!" The bolt of golden lightning hit a lock on a large metal door and destroyed it, leaving a smoldering hole where it was before. A tug on the door was what I needed to open it and get the steaks inside. I looked at a T-bone steak and smirked. _Freezer burn. Why am I not surprised?_ I cooked the meat on a grill in one of the many kitchens and seasoned it with salt and pepper. I was glad the government did not take everything off the ARK! I finished my meal and went back to the computer terminal to watch for any new events. I had brushed my teeth before I went back. _Mom did teach me some good habits, after all._

Just as I was starting to daydream, an alert showed on the screen. _Ivo has arrived. Where are you?_ I determined the level and quadrant he was on. He was in a nearby room. At the center of the room I was in was the computer terminal, surrounded by a circular area that was painted white. Soon enough Ivo found me.

_He is in that robot thing again? Is that his security blanket? _I brushed my thought aside and pointed at the circle of white that surrounded the terminal. "Stand here, if you do wish to live." Ivo let an expression of anger and confusion show on his face as his brow furrowed and he protested. "What? What are you talking about?" "Stand here, if you wish to live," I repeated, a tone of warning in my unmoved voice. Ivo stood next to me with his robot, which with him on it was half a meter taller than me. For those of you that use Customary measurement, that is roughly 19.5 inches. I pushed a black button on the computer and entered a code. With that keystroke, the room came to life as the floor pulled back and showed that the terminal was not the end of the room. Beyond the terminal was the control center of the very weapon I would use to coax Ivo. The terminal had railed scaffolding behind it leading to and surrounding the control center. The control was a computer terminal with an adjacent column that had numerous grooved indentations on it for something to go.

"Project: Shadow is not the only project to have occurred on the ARK. Here a scientific facility was established to create weapons of mass destruction. This is the result. This device is the Eclipse Cannon. This weapon is capable of wiping life clear off of an entire planet." Ivo grinned. _He is just what I thought,_ I concluded at his reaction. _Power hungry._ "Well, Shadow! I see you have a plan!" "To destroy a planet, enormous amounts of energy are needed to unleash its power." I placed the Chaos Diamond in one of the grooved shapes. The column flashed white, and below the circle platform a shockwave of light spread through the room. "To reach the Cannon's full power, you will need all seven Chaos Crystals," I finished as I brought my gloved hand up and clenched it in a fist.

"Do you really think it will be that easy?" I was startled by this intrusive voice, and I stared forward as Ivo looked up. A beautiful, young white bat girl flew down from the ceiling high above and hovered in the air above the platform. She was wearing black sweat pants, white boots, gloves, and a... tank top that was shaped like a heart. "I am Rouge the Bat. But you can just call me Rouge. I am a treasure hunter and an expert on collecting jewels." Her voice was beautiful and seductive. With that sentence spoken, she revealed the Chaos Sapphire. Ivo looked at me, and I nodded back...

* * *

I was sent to a district in a city called Westopolis that is known as Station Square. To get there, I had to cross a bridge and run across freeways to reach my destination. It was nighttime. The city air was cool. A few sparse stars glimmered in the sky, the rest blinded out by city lights. I stood on of a bridge tower and looked down at the road. Police cars arranged themselves to block the highway and several policemen stood guard. The cars were near streetlights, but I was up in the darkness of night. The tower was not within the dozens of pools of light far below. I stared at the sight as a sneer curved the corners of my mouth. "Hah! How pathetic!" I had a memory.

_Running. Panting. That is all I remember. Maria was behind me. We sprinted for the escape room through bleak halls of steel. My feet clacked against the floor as we rushed. "Shadow, I do not think I can make it." Maria was panting. "We are almost there, hold on," I assured. "Don't let them escape!" A voice shouted behind us. Scenes changed. I stared in shock as Maria fell to the floor in her blue blouse and I yelled. "Maria!" Maria faced me as she pushed her chest off the floor. "Shadow. I beg of you please, do it for me; for a better future… for all the people who live on that planet. That's the reason that you were brought into this world. Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog," Maria said with her last breath. Time froze and colors turned grey. In shock I stared at her eyes, blood pooling on the floor. That moment seemed to last several minutes, but I only saw the body for a few seconds. "Maria!!" The capsule I was trapped in launched me into space._

I opened my eyes and glared in hate at the police men. "Maria, I promise you... revenge!" I leaped from the top of the bridge tower and landed on a thick supporting cable that was strung above the bridge's side and slid on it with the arches of my feet. The surrounding office buildings and lights rose above me as cooled night air played with my fur. As I neared the bottom of the cable, I crouched down to jump. I jumped off of the cable at the bottom and glided over the blockade of police cars. I passed the police, but there was more to come. One of the police saw me and reported to the radio as I sprinted away.

_These new shoes might make me slower,_ I thought as I passed an orange roadblock. _If I get used to this, I will be slower when they don't work or something._ I stopped as I neared a wall of crates, the second effort to stop me. I let out a sigh, and jumped as high as I could. I somersaulted over the crates and landed on the other side. The crates were only the start. A robot with a gun and a shield in its arms glided down from the sky above and landed in front of me. It raised its arm and fired its weapon, and then it held its shield over its body for protection. _I think I will trip it..._ I curled up into a ball and gathered momentum, later springing forward and slamming into the robot's feet and knocking it over. "Ha! Humpty dumpty!" I pointed in mockery at it struggled in failure to rise. _Hey!_ _Got to have some fun here!_ My head seemed to sway and my balance was off.

_Dizzy! Damn it!_ I shook my head to steady myself and jumped into the air to launch myself at the robot as it lay on the ground. My impact struck the robot and dislodged its shield. I attacked again, smashing it into the tarmac. I stood back and watched it for any more movement. Concluding that it was out, I turned around and continued on my way. The bank I was going to rob was getting closer by the minute.

Hearing a steady rumble sound from the air, I looked up to see a jet fly over me and I instinctively ran. The jet turned around and flew at me again, and I saw an orange light dash out of the jet and get closer to the bridge._ No! Jump now!!_ I leaped into the air as an orange light lit up behind me, heat warmed my back, and my eardrums ached from a blast wave. My face scraped rough pavement as I fell clumsily onto the road. _Ouch!_ I felt blood trickle down my cheek and grains of pavement clung onto my sore and bleeding injury. I could smell hot pavement and burnt explosive fuel from the bomb I narrowly evaded. Asphalt grains and pebbles from my landing were tangled between strands of my soft tuft as I pushed myself up and trudged onward. _What a_ _close call. Hope I do not get any more of those._ I chuckle at the irony of my thought now. Close calls are exactly what I will be very familiar with for the rest of my life!


	3. That Blue Hedgehog

**Age of Darkness**

Chapter III

_That Blue Hedgehog_

* * *

The bank was only a block away then. The bank was on a street behind a place called Casinopolis. I decided to cut through the casino to reach the bank. The casino was elaborate inside. There were slot machines and people galore, card tables, roulette wheels and the clinking of plastic chips as people placed bids. Several people stared at me, but I ignored everything until I saw a sight that I would cherish. A white sign was above two bathrooms and it boasted of something I needed. "Showers! Wash off here!" I smirked and ran to the showers, eager to wash myself off from the ashes and pavement grits in my fur.

The two doors were on opposite sides of a small alcove. The bathroom was lined with tiles, and one room had a row of seven sinks on one wall and a dozen toilets on the other. _There are not very many guys in here, _I concluded as I looked around. To the left of the sinks and toilets was a second room that had showers. I relieved myself and went over to the showers, which were behind a second door. The shower stalls had a shower and curtain, and a little side room with a bench, towel and washrag.

My fur stuck together and I could feel rough pebbles digging into my skin. _No one is in here. I guess everyone showers here later. It is only eight._ Taking off my shoes and filthy gloves, I plodded my furry feet into the shower. The tiles were cold, but they were soothing on my sore feet. I turned the dial and waited without interest. _I never do like when a shower starts, because it is cold!_ The nozzle sputtered and drops of cold water spilled onto me and the tiles that surrounded my feet. My hairs bristled as I endured the chill, waiting for hot water to wash myself in. Warm water soon pelted my fur and I sighed while I reached for the washcloth and a bar of soap. I scrubbed my fur with soap. Flecks of asphalt and tar trickled onto the tile and I could feel my skin become more comfortable. _That is much better. No more itchy fur for me! The water is slightly stinging my sore, _I thought as I gingerly placed my hand to my cheek. My black fur was all filled with bubbles from soap, and I rinsed off. My gloves were next. I looked back at the stall later as I put my damp gloves back on and dried my fur with the towel. The towel was one of those skimpy pool towels that are rather thin and rough.

I was quick to leave the place and went over to the nearby bank. A device strapped to my wrist started to vibrate, so I looked at it. _Robotnik gave me a Chaos radar he made himself. He spent time working on it. _The device showed that the crystal was deep in a vault of the bank. I brought a second device with me, yet again designed by Robotnik. The device was capable of performing one Chaos Control jump. I was to use the jump to bypass the security of the bank and steal the desired crystal inside. My tricks worked, and I was out of the bank with the Crystal in a minute.

I had no clothes besides my shoes and gloves, so I made myself a little pocket to stuff my trinkets in on my thigh out of my fur. After all, how could one have seven Chaos Crystals and not show any of them? Hide them somewhere? But even then, how could they fit in a simple pocket made of fur? Do not ask me, I don't know. Designing the Sonic Adventure series was not my job! A police car cruised by me and my nerves tensed. _What was the cop doing here?_ A tractor-trailer that was carrying a robot battle suit like the one I destroyed earlier followed the police. I watched them as they started it up and a man dressed in a jumpsuit and helmet climbed into it.

The sky above was getting darker by the minute, and the fading orange and pink clouds of the setting sun could be seen on the horizon between the numerous buildings several stories high. Soon enough, roadblocks were set up at the intersection, and I waited to see what would happen. _Why are they blocking the road?_ Traffic was sent on a detour, so the roads were unusually empty. For a moment, I could hear a pin drop on the street because it was so calm. The robot suit stood up and turned to face a street that went up the hill. I heard something that caught my attention. I heard feet shuffling. Not only was somebody running, but whoever it was had incredible speed. _Who that is running, could that person be as fast as... No. Nobody is nearly as fast as me!_ I held that thought in my head until I saw a blurry shape of blue dash down the hill. It passed the robot and swung around on a 'No U turn' sign and stopped about ten meters away from the battle machine. That is thirty two feet. _That is as fast as me!_ I realized bitterly.

I watched to see the blue bullet and see what it was. The pilot spoke up on a loudspeaker. "Hedgehog! Return to GUN immediately" The pilot had authority in his voice. I was surprised to hear that name, and my mind filled with hatred. _GUN? That damn military is still here? Why are they after this guy? _The hedgehog was blue, and he had bright green eyes and a confident smile. He wore red shoes and white gloves. "Hey, big guy. Slow down! I do not know who you are talking about!" The hedgehog said back with a youthful voice. His eyebrow arched as he chuckled. _He is about my age..._ "Surrender now or I will make you!" The pilot warned in anger. After the robot leapt into the air it fired a machine gun down at the blue hedgehog. The blue hedgehog evaded the machine gun's bullets with ease. The robot fired again, but the blue hedgehog waited for the robot to land and then smashed into the robot when it did. The pilot opened the crates on the robot's back and fired a salvo of missiles. Several small explosions erupted across the pavement, and the hedgehog had little trouble avoiding them. He jumped into the air, smashing against the robot, again. The robot fired its machine gun again, but he dashed forward and under it, causing the robot to hesitate as it tried to find him. I laughed quietly. "Hello? Behind you!" The blue hedgehog said as he waved his hand mockingly. The robot turned around to attack, but then the intruder smashed into it. I could hear glass crack, and the cockpit cover was damaged. Its frame was bent and the glass splintered, looking as if a spider spun a web on the windows. The hedgehog hit it again, and the pilot yelled in pain. The hedgehog was playing with it! It was not long before the battle was over. The robot crumbled to the ground. I wanted a closer look at this young intruder.

I jumped up on top of the robot after the pilot left and stood there, staring at him. He looked up at me with shock. "What!?" I lifted my new toy in the air and showed off its green luster. "This is a gem containing the ultimate power." The blue furry got angry. "That is the Chaos Emerald! I see now. Everyone else is mistaking me for the likes of you!" He pointed an accusing finger at me and I smirked, causing him to growl. He charged forward and jumped up to attack me. "Say something, you fake hedgehog!" I gripped the Emerald and whispered two words. I felt uneasy as the Emerald dropped me behind the blue devil. He stumbled as he landed, shocked to find he hit nothing but air. The blue one looked around to find me. "Whoa! He is fast!" I lowered my hand and kept the Emerald at my side. "Wait a minute, you are using that Emerald to warp," he realized. I stared at him with cold feelings. In a flash of green light, I was warped to the top of a three story building. He turned to me again, his green eyes had frustration in them as he glared at me.

I playfully tossed the Emerald into the air and caught it. "I am the world's ultimate life form." He growled again, apparently he heard me. I looked down at him with anger in my eyes. I tossed the Emerald into the air again. I did so as I spoke. "I have no time to play games with you. Farwell!" I vanished into thin air, leaving him and his stunned attitude behind...


	4. Atomic Pizza

**Age of Darkness**

Chapter IV

_Atmoic Pizza_

_A.N. Time for some lighthearted humor! Woohoo!!!_

* * *

I was back on the ARK again, for the umpteenth time. I left the blue blur far behind me and it was time to find the next crystal. We had possession of three crystals already, four more to go. I wandered over to a room at the colony edge and waited there. My two partners were hovering near the control room, far out of reach. _I do not trust her._ I looked down at the hateful planet below me. _I trust Rouge less than I trust that 'doctor' guy. Why is that?_ I closed my eyes. _She came out of nowhere. She was spying on us, intruding. What is she doing here?_ My scraped cheek was almost completely healed, after healing itself for only one day. The red scratches were gone, only leaving faint pinkish marks behind. I mused on her for a minute. _She did give us the Sapphire. So what? She looks like a wolf in sheep clothing. She is too suspicious. _I had determined a resolution for Rouge, so I returned to the control room.

Down the many now dark hallways of steel and glass, the two of them were still there. Ivo had a thoughtful expression on his face as he stared at the control room terminal. He seemed to be watching an island. I could see the screen glow in the darkness. _The layout looks familiar... Is that Prison Island? _My thought was cut off by the greeting of the white bat. "Shadow! Where have you been?" _Why should she care about me?_ I inwardly shrugged. "Silence! I am trying to think," Ivo grumbled at us. He returned his eyes to the screen and pulled out the Chaos radar he let me borrow the day before. "How rude," Rouge said with a smirk. She lowered her voice. "Where did you go?" I responded with nothing more than a glance at her as I crossed my arms. "Why?" I asked back. "Does that even matter? Lighten up," Rouge said as she placed her hand on my shoulder.

I was disturbed by her touch. _I have no time for this. _I managed to ignore it and stood still. "Waiting," I said tersely as I watched and her hand rested on my shoulder. _I feel uncomfortable right now. What are you doing?_ I looked at Ivo and asked him something. "Doctor," I started. "Yes, Shadow?" "You thought I was Sonic?" The Doctor reluctantly answered. "Yes." I stayed silent again. _Yeah, and I will confuse toasters with computers,_ I thought to myself. "I am used to him showing up in all of the worst times Shadow. He has ruined my plans countless times," he added. _Whatever._ "Alright. Listen up! We are going to Prison Island in a matter of minutes. Get ready!" Ivo said as he turned around and saw Rouge touching me.

He looked at me with a question in his eyes. I looked back at him with frustration. _Do not ask me._ He decided to ask Rouge. "Rouge! What are you doing? Let's go now!" He yelled. "Okay, do not need to be so pushy, you know." Rouge closed her eyes. She was wearing blue eyeliner. "You both are pushy," I stated simply. Both of them grumbled in anger. I smirked in celebration of my victory. _Score!_ I walked over to the warp device and waited for them. "That is the most he has said all day," Rouge said blankly. I rolled my eyes..._ Sheesh!_

* * *

Prison Island: We waited on a small islet shore that was at the edge of tropical shrubs and trees. The sun was high in the sky and the sky was bright blue with occasional clouds. I could discern the chatter of angry seagulls in the distance. "Shadow! Rouge! Listen up! I am going to cause mayhem on the ships in the bay with my Egg Walker to distract the enemy. You two have jobs to take care of. Rouge, you will infiltrate the vault at this base and steal three Chaos Crystals. Shadow, you will place this," he held up a hand with a small device the size of a candy bar, "at the main island and activate it. When it goes off, this island chain goes with it!" Rouge ran of to perform her task. "Shadow, follow me." I followed the chubby man in the goofy-looking robot onto an aircraft carrier. "Here take it now." He shoved it into my hand and I hid it... wherever it went_. I am not absolutely certain that seven fist-sized crystals and a candy bar can easily fit in my little pocket! _

"What is this candy bar for Doctor? I know it is not made of chocolate!" I asked as I watched the mad genius. Ivo chuckled. "That is an anti-matter warhead. I call it the Egg Bombom," the genius said with pride. "Right," I said with annoyance. "Nice device and all, but why do you call everything you devise with 'egg' in the name?" "Because, Shadow. Sonic and his pesky pals call me Dr. Eggman." I smiled faintly. "Creative name," I replied as I brushed one of my quills with my gloved hand. I felt warm and soft arms firmly wrap around my shoulders and a squeezing pressure as someone's face pressed into my own, inciting me to close one of my crimson eyes. _What the hell!_ "I found you at last, my darling Sonic!" The voice of the speaker was high pitched, feminine. The attacker jumped back and I finally got to look at the affectionate creature. "Wait a minute! You are not Sonic!" "No duh," I muttered under my breath sarcastically. I was really mad about everyone calling me Sonic!

My attacker was a pretty pink hedgehog girl with brilliant green eyes. She was young; I guess she was twelve years old. She wore a red dress and red boots and had a red hair band in her pink quills. _I liked her hug. She is really cute._ "Oh no! Doctor Eggman!" She looked up at the person behind me and I watched her with an unmoved stare. "Go on Shadow! I will take care of her!" The girl had a look of terror in her eyes. I looked at my partner briefly and mouthed the words, "do not hurt her." 'Eggman' nodded back as I left. I ran off and leapt across the edge of the carrier and onto the island, on my way to the main base...

_Finally, this must be it. _I placed the explosive on the ground under a bush. The main base, which was nothing more than a huge blocky building, was just a meter away from me. _Do not touch?_ I thought as if there was a warning on the Bombom._ But what does the button do?_ Tap! I laughed maniacally just to enjoy myself. "Mwa-ha-ha-ha!" _Oops. I hope that was not too loud._ I narrowed my eyes and looked around me. Silence was there, and it remained unbroken. The device lit up and a red digital timer started to count down. My already large hedgehog eyes popped out of my head as I realized the timer was too short for my comfort. _TEN MINUTES!!? What was he thinking! _I rushed back towards the vault and through the misty thickets and palm trees of the rainforest.

Many a vine and bush were dangling and standing in my way, so I had plenty of weaving to do. I saw the trees and ground stop abruptly, so I hit my brakes. I was centimeters away from the edge of a cliff, and a good fifty meters were between me and the ground below. I swallowed. I turned and noticed a very slippery rock face that was shaped like a funnel. The natural slide reached the bottom of the floor and gently curved to be parallel to the ground. _Here goes nothing! _"Kowabunga!!!" I dropped onto the slide and enjoyed the thrill. I felt weightless and soon I was falling. I felt raindrops before, but now I had no raindrops splattering on my shiny black nose. "Wooohooo!!" The slope curved and I was still falling at an incredible rate. I curled up and rolled roughly over the clumps of grass and twigs at the bottom of the cliff. I started to feel dizzy as the constant rolling of my body gave me a headache. My quills bristled as I felt myself hit a puddle and I uncurled, landing on my back. "Gah!"

_It could have been worse,_ I thought silently. My fur was soaking wet and I stood up. I shook my fur and flung water in a brief shower everywhere. I then stood on a rock so that it would not burn and concentrated Chaos energy on my body. I was enveloped in a red fire, and the water of my fur simply boiled away. After I finished my fire, I continued running and landed on a strangely square platform that had grass and bushes as well as small trees. I waited there and I soon heard shuffling of feet. _Oh no. Not him._ Sonic landed on the platform. He spoke first. "Hey! You!" "That blue hedgehog again. And of all places," I muttered. Sonic stepped towards me and pointed a finger. "I found you, faker!" "Faker? You are the faker around here! You are comparing yourself to me!" I chuckled. "Ha! You are not good enough to even be my fake!" I finished.

"I will make you eat those words!" Both of us got in a battle stance. Suddenly, a bell rang. Ding! Sonic looked around, so I sprang onto him. "Ow!" I jumped into the air and spun into his body. _Ha! Good job, blue!_ I chuckled softly as I stood back. Sonic glared at me. "Did you even hear that?" He asked angrily. "The bell? Duh. But you have a point. That is weird..." I rubbed my chin in thought. A floating blue robot with large yellow eyes showed up. "Hello. I am Omachao. I am here to help you. Let round one of the match begin." The bell rang again. Ding! Sonic and I glanced at each other. In a moment the robot's lights were out. "Nice," I said to him. "Not too bad yourself, Shads!" I paused. "Were we supposed to be fighting?" I asked. The little walkie-talkie thingy I had spoke. It was Eggman. "Shadow! What are you doing!? Get off this island right now before it blows up with you on it!" Sonic jumped a foot as he repeated the message. "BLOWS UP!??" "Adieu!" I said as I turned around. I dashed away into the mist, leaving my blue counterpart behind.

"Shadow. I cannot believe this. I was fighting a robot, and it locked me in this vault. I guess I will not be calling myself a hunter anymore," Rouge said sadly. I did not trust Rouge, and even though she had the three crystals, that was not a real reason to save her. The crystals are indestructible. I growled. "You troublemaker!" I have many a grudge, but my hands have no blood on them. I did not want to start then. I ran wildly through the jungle. Trees flashed by me as I followed a primitive road that the army here made. I could sense the crystals, and Rouge was with them.

_I can't let her die,_ I realized. Yes, my goal was to destroy the world. Yes I was quite hateful. But I did not want the burden of knowing I could have saved her and that I did not... That is the Antihero in me; to be hateful and not completely evil at the same time. Is an Antihero more of a **hero** or more of a **villain**? I do not know the answer to that question. You might... Time was running out. The vault was there in all of its glory, and I dashed through an open door and saw Rouge trapped in a pit. I landed in front of her, and she was staring in despair at the floor under her feet. "Get up!" I yelled and I grabbed one of the crystals, Rouge had the others. "Chaos Control!!" In a flash of light, Rouge and two crystals were sent to ARK.

* * *

I was zapped to an island that was dozens of kilometers away from the island chain. I watched the distant horizon of the sea and a terrific flash of light caused me to close my eyes for a moment. I could feel heat burn into my black fur and I opened my eyes again, squinting to see what had happened. A large yellow fireball was rising over the islands and the sky looked dark red, nearly black, in its brilliance. "It is the sun," I commented. The islands were completely gone, concealed by a skirt of fire beneath the explosion. As the fireball rose, a thick column of fire was beneath it. The fireball dimmed into a duller orange, and it rose like a swollen bubble into the sky as the sky itself became red, then a lighter mauve and finally its familiar blue color. I was amazed by the site. _Fireworks and even fuel air bombs are party poopers compared to this,_ I concluded as the ball turned reddish brown and became more of a lump and less of a ball as it continued climbing to the heavens.

The column of fire became thinner and turned brown, and the lump seemed to be enveloped by brown smoke that rolled over its lumpy mass, finally snuffing out its red glow. I saw a small wave roll across the sea and the waves behind it stilled. _Uh oh! I do not want busted ears today!_ I crammed my fingers into my ears. The wave was gone, but a blur of wind smacked me as a solid and loud explosion pushed dust into the air. I left my ears free of my fingers after a moment, and I heard a barrage of deep rumbles. Birds in nearby trees squawked in panic and some flew into the sky to escape. The ball of smoke looked somewhat like a mushroom. The shape of the cloud reminded me of... pizza. In anger my eyes narrowed as my stomach growled. _I hope that the hedgehog girl and that yellow fox got away. I hope even that blue hedgehog got away..._ I am now, years later, supremely glad they did...


	5. Just an Ordinary Hedgehog

**Age of Darkness**

Chapter V

_Just an Ordinary Hedgehog_

* * *

The six Crystals were added to the Cannon. "Now what, Doctor?" Rouge asked as she and I stared at the genius typing away on the computer. "Kaboom," Eggman said back. The Eclipse Cannon was activated. After I left the hallway and wandered through the endless labyrinth of hallways and rooms, I went down a long and winding staircase for a long time, finally reaching the bottom. I was at an outer hallway and there were windows. That was not my goal though. I went into a different room not far from the edge that had a window in view of the colony's nose and waited. The colony was still covered by the rock shield that was used to conceal it years ago. The nose started glowing green and a bolt of fire flew into the rocky covering. Rouge found me and watched also. "What is he doing?" She asked. I remained silent. The obstruction was shattered and many fragments were sent into the bleak vacuum of space. The nose of the colony opened into four parts and they spread apart like they were hinged to the colony. "Kaboom," I repeated. That is what Eggman said, anyways.

A screen in the room turned on and Egghead's face was on it. "Greetings, people of the world. My name is doctor Eggman. I am the most glorious scientific mind in history. I will be your new ruler. The Eggman Empire is born!" "I presume he sent the signal all around the world," I realized. "What? Why?" Rouge asked me, her pretty blue-green eyes lit up. "Eggman wants to rule the world. We are helping him," I answered simply.

A skinny spire was between the four sections of the nose, and the end of the spire seemed to catch on fire as it burned with an unearthly green color. "Doctor Eggman is going to fire the cannon," I explained. A bulge of green fire collected at the end of the spire, and green fire was gathering on it from the four sections. Soon enough, a large ball of hot green fired off of the cannon, and the bulge narrowly missed the Earth. _No! Not the Moon!_ I swore under my breath. The solid face of the Moon was struck, and a titanic explosion seemed to rip under the Moon's surface, sending pieces of the moon into space. The Moon was now a moon with a giant hole on its side ripped in pieces, a jumbled jigsaw puzzle. Under the fragments, the core of the Moon glowed red.

* * *

I stared at the bleak hallways of metal and wires before me. The control room was now a hub of activity for my team. I am glad the scaffolding has rails, for the sake of safety. It is a very long way down... I found out when we just returned to the colony. I had found several coins that Sonic had dropped. As Egghead was checking on one of his bases, I believe it was in Egypt, Rouge and I waited. I filled up on steak and potatoes - _real_ potatoes I would like to point out. Thank God for the cryogenic freezer! Food stored here thirty years ago is the same as it was then.

As we waited, I pulled two pennies, a nickel, and a quarter out of my pocket. "What are you doing?" Rouge asked. I stared down at the abyss below. "You will see," I answered. I dropped a penny, then the second penny. "Why are you throwing money down the pit?" My eyes narrowed. "Because money is power. Power is something man should have never found. Besides, I want to find out how deep this pit is," I finished. I lowered my head over the hole and listened. I waited. "That is a pretty deep hole, I would say," Rouge decided. I threw a nickel. "That hole is at least one hundred meters deep," I said. "Why don't you use customary measurement?" Rouge asked quietly.

"Good question. Customary is nothing more than a plethora of incredibly annoying and useless fractions. It is impractical. For example, I would take more time converting fractions into their equivalents. Seven eights, five eights, three quarters, fifteen sixteenths, twelve inches in a foot, three feet in a yard, five thousand two hundred eighty feet in a mile. Sixteen fluid ounces in a cup, two cups in a pint, two pints in a quart, four quarts in a gallon. So on and so on. Metric is one fraction; _ten_. Everything in metric uses _ten_. Metric uses values of _ten_ and values divisible by _ten_. I wish America used metric instead. That would mean no more seven eights of an inch. No more fumbling for a calculator. Just count up the zeros." I shook my head.

I dropped a quarter. Nothing happened. "That is no pit, that is an abyss," I stated. Out of nowhere, I picked up an anvil and threw it over the edge. "See if this three kilogram anvil does anything." "How did you..." Rouge stared at me with large eyes. "Get the anvil? I do not know, ask the author!" Rouge watched the darkness with me. Waiting for one minute, I concluded that nothing happened. I walked over to the terminal and waited. A distant thud was heard far below the room. "That pit is one kilometer deep. I feel safer on the metal floor." An alarm blared. Red lights lit up and I looked at the computer screen. I chuckled at the screen. The screen said, "No anvils allowed in the abyss!" "Oops. I hope I did not break too much," I said as I rolled my eyes.

I left the control room and Rouge behind. I wandered away from her and found a room that was once a bedroom. _Time to sleep,_ I thought to myself. I closed the door of the room and flopped onto the bed. I closed my eyes and the darkness lulled me to rest... Three hours later I opened my crimson eyes. I saw a faint reflection of the outside light under my nose. "What is this?" I slowly poked the reflection with my finger. POP! I jumped. The reflection under my nose disappeared and a small drop of moisture was on my finger._ Great, a sleeping bubble_. _I guess I snore really loud too!_ I got up and went back to the control room which was many hallways and levels away. Doctor Eggman was there and he was on the computer, looking at a map of the ARK. "Shadow! Where have you been!?" Last time, Rouge asked me where I was. Now, Egghead was asking where I was, and he sounded angry. "Ultimate life needs to sleep too, you know," I replied as I rubbed my eyes. "Oh," was his response. His snarl vanished and he returned his eyes to the screen. "Where is Rouge?" I asked, noticing she was absent. "Sonic and his friends showed up. They got a rocket from my base and are boarding right now." "Okay, no problem," I said nonchalantly. "Shadow, they are here to stop us. And they have the final Chaos Crystal." My eyes widened. "So? That is good." Egghead pointed at the screen. Among the map, there were two signals.

"One of the Crystals is a decoy. If I have time to examine both of the crystals, I can figure out which one is the phony. Where is Rouge?" I asked again. "She is out fighting some echidna. The echidna is guardian of the Master Emerald." The screen lit up. An electronic female voice gave warning. "Intruder! Intruder!" A camera view appeared. I saw three people. Sonic was there. The gold fox was there. The young pink hedgehog was there with them. Sonic and Tails left the girl behind. "They are just going to leave her there?" My eyes widened. "It appears so," Doctor Eggman said. "I am going to capture her and hold her hostage." "That is pretty underhanded," I said with surprise. "I do not care! If it stops Sonic and Tails, I will do it!" Eggman's face turned red as he yelled. "The Moon will return to its previous state," I said in warning. "I like the Moon. I wish you shot a smaller scale blast at a remote part of Earth. Even the prospect of massive explosions from space would be enough to subdue them," I commented. "I do things big, Shadow," Doctor Eggman replied. "The Moon will be as it was..." I said again as we waited. "Or what!?" Eggman said angrily as he turned around. I stared at him with anger burning in my eyes. "Okay, Shadow! I get your point," he said as we watched the screen again.

* * *

I just waited at the control room. Rouge is fine, and Doctor Eggman has captured the girl. _Maybe I should check on them,_ I thought as I left the room and locked it behind a solid door of steel. I hate this colony. Now it is dark and dim, because Eggman cannot get it fully operational. The levels at the core of the colony are pitch-black. I brought the Chaos Ruby with me to light the way in darkness. I soon noticed that I was at the edge of the core. I pushed a door open and beyond me was the rift between the core and the rest of the colony. _Egghead and the girl are in a level below me._ I crossed a metal bridge over the rift and wandered down a stairwell to find the Doctor. Only the hallways where people were had been illuminated, so I was still in darkness. My shoes clanked against the metal of the stairs and I soon stopped part of the way down. A door was in front of me, beside the stairs. The door was labeled "Level 152A." "This is the place," I said quietly as I opened the door and left the stairs behind. The core was in a quadrant of its own. The levels of the core had letter "E" to go with it. I was on level 152, quadrant A. Even the quadrants of each level are huge. As I remembered how small I was, I felt alone. The colony had five quadrants, including the core, four thousand levels, and was thirty kilometers across. Now that I know the quadrant and level, I still need to know the sector and hallway... and room. L152A-S8-37 is my goal.

I turned my hover shoes off. _My own legs might be rusty if I become lazy. _The floor was lit a faint red as I continued running down a seemingly endless hallway of bleak metal. Sector Eight. I was in Sector Two. I kept on running at what was for me a comfortable pace. As I neared Sector Seven, I realized my Ruby was not the only light in the darkness. I stopped and turned left to follow a light. I could see numerous pipes, cables, and panels of the abandoned colony in the hall. The light grew brighter, and I could see the colors of the objects on the wall around me. A sign was on the wall showed me where I was: Sector 8. I found Egghead and the young girl in a minute. They stood in a bleak room of steel and glass. We were at the colony's edge, and the fragmented pieces of the Moon were in view just behind the Earth. "Shadow, what are you doing here?" The young girl asked. "Be quiet, Amy." _Amy? That is her name? Hmm... _Eggman spoke up again. "What are you doing, Shadow?" I remained quiet as I glanced at Amy. "Doctor, you know what I asked of you before. Follow it again. Do me a favor," I said. Doctor Eggman nodded, and turned to his hostage. "Do not hurt her," I said as I departed. Amy was watching me with awe in her eyes. I paused for an instant as I noticed her. _She is surprised. She looks glad. Why?_ I do not want a child to suffer for the wretchedness of adults. I disappeared into a cloak of darkness again...

* * *

Half an hour passed since I saw Amy and the Doctor. I waited in silence in a dark room. Light from the shattered Moon was my only company. I hid in a room not far from the others; I wanted to see what was happening from a distance. I heard the colony shudder and a missile shot out of the colony. _What is going on here?_ I peered at the missile. _Sonic is in there! Egghead hates Sonic. I guess this is his end..._ The missile shrank in distance. A small white light glowed in the black of space and a fireball was left in its place. I heard a muffled scream from a nearby room. It was Amy. The scream was quiet where I stood, but it must have been loud where the others were. "Sonic!! No!!" I heard a faint sob. _I feel bad. I can't believe he died... He pushed my buttons a lot, but he was just trying to stop... me. _I looked at the dimming red cloud of smoke as it dissipated. "I guess you were just an ordinary hedgehog after all. Goodbye, Sonic."


	6. Doubts

**Age of Darkness**

Chapter VI

_Doubts_

* * *

_Why? Why doesn't she hate me? Why? _I thought about Amy. _She smiled at me. I like her. She has good qualities. But why could she possibly not hate me? I want the world to end! I helped Doctor Eggman kill Sonic! She always chased after him! _My thought turned to the hedgehog that rivaled my speed. _Why didn't he hate me? We did fight, but when both of us were in a draw on the island, why did he just let me go?_ I had second thoughts. _He had to save his friends. He had no time to bother with me... _I slammed my fist into a wall with such anger that it left an indentation. "Argh!" _Why do I care!? Why should I care!? I am allowing emotions to get in my way! I thought I got rid of my heart!_ "Go away," I told my heart. "Go away!" _I can feel my heart again! It hurts! GO AWAY!! WHY! WHY DO I CARE!!? WHY DO I CARE!!?_ I was on the brink of tears, but my eyes held them back. _I need to ignore these feelings. I have a promise to keep._ I gathered my composure and waited in silence.

My heart ached, but it also felt, dare I to say it, _nice._ I felt a blend of pleasure and pain. I felt so helpless. In my solitude, a tear slipped from my eye. I heard it drip against the cold floor. I cursed myself as I rubbed my eye. "Why?" I asked myself. "Why am I crying? Why do I care? Why don't they"- The door opened, and light flooded the wall next to me. I stayed silent. _Why did the door open? Who is out there?_ I heard nothing. I waited for any sound to tell me, to announce that I am not alone. The silence remained unbroken. _Someone is out there, I know it._ I peered around the corner of the wall next to the door. Nothing was there. _What about..._ My thoughts fell apart. _What about... the cannon!_ My eyes sprang open. I did not know why, but I had an urge to return to the control room.

Running through the opened door, I ran as fast as I could. In two minutes I reached the colony core. I scrambled up the stairs back to the control room. I stopped when I saw the door to the control room. The room was open!_ Who is in here!_ Staying silent as I approached, I looked into the darkness. Rouge was at the controls, and she was holding two of the crystals. _Wait. Where is my Ruby?_ I checked myself for it, only to find it was not with me. I realized that I dropped it in the hallway, so Rouge must have gotten it. Sure enough, as if to confirm my belief, she was fondly rubbing it with her gloved fingers. I crept in the shadows to approach her and listened intently. "So, are you guys happy or what?" She was talking to the gems. _Whatever, Rouge! Talk to a magical stone! I doubt it cares!_ I rolled my eyes silently. "Nothing is between me and you. They have said that when all seven Crystals are together, a miracle happens! You are mine! All mine!" She stopped when I stepped into the light.

"Shadow!" Her eyelids partly closed. "I know you! You are Rouge the Bat! Government spy! Did you arrive on the orders of GUN? Or maybe it was a request from the President! You are stuck here! I can take you down right now!" Rouge paused at my accusation. "So you did your homework. I am impressed. I did my homework too, you see. Do not hurt me! That is, if you are the real Shadow." I stood still. Rouge pulled out a paper that was just printed off the computer. She flew up out of my reach and read it aloud like it was a bedtime story. "This is a classified report from Space Colony Ark. The topic is Project: Shadow."

_The project has been a disastrous failure amid victory. Project: Shadow has augmented regeneration abilities, but it is unstable and deemed dangerous to human kind. The project has been ordered by the government to be sealed away deep inside of the colony, never to be released._

"If this is a picture of Project: Shadow, than who - or what - is standing before me?" She pointed at me with a smug grin. The picture on the report was a picture of a large snake like creature. _Bio, _I thought. My pesky walkie-talkie turned on. "Shadow! Listen to me now!" I pulled the device up to my ear and glared at Rouge. "Someone is trying to breach the Eclipse Cannon's core! Stop whatever is trying to get there right now!" Eggman's voice went off with static. I looked back at Rouge. "I have a promise to keep," I started to leave. "So you think you are the real Project: Shadow?" Rouge asked. I answered her confidently. "No doubt." "If you are not Project: Shadow, than your memories may not be real, you know." My heart sank. "Even if my memories are not real, I am still me. Shadow. Even then, all that matters is my promise to Maria. You and anyone else that tries to stop me will fail." I left quickly to find the Cannon Core...

* * *

There was only one way to the Eclipse Cannon's tip. A long walkway spanned between a port at the bottom of the colony and the colony's nose. I got there soon enough. Who I saw surprised me. Sonic was standing there. I walked up to him. "You never cease to surprise me, blue hedgehog. I thought I saw that capsule you were in blow up in space." Both of us started walking down a hallway that joined the walkway. "What can I say? I die hard! How I escaped is thanks to you," he said with a grin. I remained silent. "I used a chaos control on the fake Chaos Amber. I never thought it would have worked." We started to jog. "So there is more to you than just looking like me. Who are you anyway?" His green eyes sparkled as he grinned. "What you see is what you get! I am just a guy that loves adventure! I am Sonic the Hedgehog!" "I see, but your adventure days are coming to an end!"

The hallway ended and we both broke into a full run. I kept my shoes inactive to challenge myself. It looked as if we were running through an inverted city. The buildings of this city grew down. The Earth was a pleasant blue color far below, shining against the ebony void of space. I tried to smash into Sonic, and he simply curled up and blocked my attack. He returned my attack, and I blocked it in the same manner. I sprinted ahead, but he caught up. "Games are over," Sonic started as he looked at me. "Sonic Wind!" A cerulean curling mass of wind knocked me down. "Augh!" I sprang back up. _That hurt!_ I had to catch up to him. He underestimated me, since my shoes were not activated, and I caught up to him. We both ran faster and faster. Buildings floated buy us rapidly and wind pressed against my face as we raced. _It is my turn._ "Chaos..." I looked at him as we kept running, my hand burned a yellow color. "Spear!" A bolt of yellow fire flew at him. The fire hit him and knocked him down as he screamed.

He crumbled on the floor. I stopped and walked back to him. "Go ahead! Finish me off!" Sonic yelled, as his ankle was sprained. I slowly lowered my hand to him. "What are you doing!?" he asked in surprise. I did not know what to say to him, and I did not know why I offered my hand. "I want to help you up," I said back. "Shadow! Get real! Why would you help me!?" I waited and found an answer as my crimson eyes stared into his green eyes. "Because I care," I said solemnly. Sonic stopped glaring at me. He reached out, and I pulled him up, holding his hand. "I am taking you back," I said as I placed his arm around my neck and carried him back to the colony. "Shadow! What are you doing! Eggman is going to win! He will rule everyone! You! Me! The world!" Sonic was arguing with my mind as I carried him back. "Egghead will not rule everyone," I replied. Sonic stared at me in shock. "No one will rule anyone. Never again will someone on this planet be ruled by someone else," I finished. "Shadow, what do you mean?" I looked into his emeralds. "It is the end of the world and I know it." "What? NO!! Shadow!! DO NOT DO THAT!!" "Save your breath," I grumbled. I reached out and said one phrase. "Chaos Control." We appeared back near the control room, and everyone else was there.

Amy and Tails were thrilled to see him. "SONIC!! YOU'RE ALIVE!!" Sonic stood on his own two feet, and got a bear hug from gold and pink. "Hey! I am back!" Sonic looked at me as I turned to leave. "Shadow! What happened to my foot? I can walk again!" "I healed you." "So, can we all go home now?" Knuckles asked. I stopped. The others noticed. "No one will go home," I said laconically. "What!? What are you talking about!?" Rouge asked in anger. "You will know in a minute." I left them there, stumped.

I wandered over to another room and stared down at Earth. My grandfather appeared on a screen in the other room as an alarm went off on the entire colony. The hallways and rooms glowed red and I heard the others behind the wall start to panic. I saw Ivo walk into the room with panic in his eyes. The door remained open, so I could hear them. "Alright Eggman! Who is that!?" Knuckles was fed up. "That is Gerald Robotnik, one of the greatest scientific minds in history – and my grandfather." "What did you do?" Knuckles asked again. "I didn't do anything. I added the last Crystal to the Cannon, and it malfunctioned." Eggman was depressed. "Yeah! You will not rule us now!" Tails said in victory. "The computer said that the colony will destroy the world," Doctor Robotnik replied finally. "WHAT?" "WHAT?" "WHAT?" Everyone was in a panic. The voice of Gerald, my Grandpa, spoke up.

_He was tied in ropes to a chair. Behind him on the wall of a jail cell were countless equations and scribbled diagrams. "This is a death sentence for all of the human beings on Earth. If my calculations are correct, in 27 minutes, 53 seconds, the space colony ARK will collide with the Earth and turn it into a wasteland. I devoted my life to better mankind, and this is how you repay me? The people of the world I helped caused the death of my family! All of you wretched, ungrateful people have destroyed everything that has mattered to me, and so I will take your lives! You shall feel my loss and despair!!" A second voice spoke up. "Is there anything else you would like to say?" Gerald glared at the guards with pure hate. "No," he said dolorously. "Ready, men. FIRE!" The screen went black._

"Soon Maria, you will have your revenge," I said to myself as the colony shuddered...


	7. The Promise

**Age of Darkness**

Chapter VII

_The Promise_

* * *

"What is this?" I heard Rouge ask in the other room. "That is my Grandfather's diary. Let's see if it tells about why he wanted the world to drop dead." Rouge read it aloud.

_I do not know where I went wrong. Was this a mistake to create the ultimate life? I have done what my government asked of me, and yet they murdered my son, his wife, and my granddaughter, Maria. They killed another family that helped me in creating Shadow. The government also tortured Shadow, the final result of the project. I went insane. All I could think about was getting back at them through revenge. I returned to ARK and programmed the colony to, when all of the Chaos Crystals were restored, to collide with the planet. Shadow is my hope to cause this. His heart is perfect, pure. He had made a promise and will keep it, come hell or high water. If you wish to cause destruction, release him into the world. I leave everything in his hands. If someone tries to intervene, I have sealed the Prototype, Bio, in the core, so she can crush and destroy all in my way... The day of Armageddon is upon you._

"What will we do now?" Tails asked the others. "Well, the colony is being propelled by the power of the Chaos Crystals." Sonic spoke up then. "So, then we just need to separate them, right?" Knuckles sighed. "No Sonic. Once the Crystals are together even if they are separated that will do not stop their power." "The crystals were sent to the cannon core, anyways. We cannot reach them from here. Finally, even if they are cancelled, we still have gravity to worry about," Eggman added. "Knucklehead! Use your Emerald to cancel out the Chaos!" Rouge suggested. "I could, but we need to get to them first." Knuckles scratched his head. "Everyone! Over here! I have loaded a map of the colony, and I found the core," Doctor Eggman announced. "Wow. There are a lot of locks and hallways to the core." "Rouge, Knuckles, you have a job to do. All of us do. Tails and I will blast our way down the hallways at the entrance so that Rouge and Knuckles can access the core's coolant system. Rouge and Knuckles will deactivate the coolant, and Sonic will get to a lock behind the coolant system and deactivate it. That will release the lock to the core. Get in the core, cancel the Crystals, and use their power to return ARK to orbit," Egghead said thoughtfully. "Let's go!" The group of heroes and mad genius ran off, heading to the center of the ARK. The colony was slowly falling to Earth, and the blue planet seemed to grow larger. I waited. _This is the end. I keep my promises, Maria._ The Earth is getting closer by the minute...

* * *

Ten minutes have passed. There is fifteen minutes until impact. The Earth is fully in view of the colony, a giant orb that is large enough to block out any view of space. I heard footsteps behind me. Amy was pacing back and forth. "Why do they always have to leave me behind!? Argh!" She paused at the door where I stood. "Everyone else is trying their best, and so must I." She walked up to me. I continued to stare at the Earth. "Shadow! Help us please! We need to stop this!" I remained stoic, and just had one thing to say. "Everything is going according to plan. There is no reason to stop it now." "But, Shadow! Look, I know people can be selfish and can fight over the most trivial things, but if everyone tries their best, we can all live in happiness. There are good people down there." _Happiness? _Her final sentence made something in my mind fall in place. "Shadow! Give them a chance!"

_I choked on my breath. "Maria." Maria faced me as she pushed her chest off the floor, looking directly at me as tears left her eyes. "Shadow. I beg of you please, do it for me; for a better future… for all the people who live on that planet. __Give them a __chance__ to be __happy__. Let them live for their dreams, Shadow. I know you can do it. That's the reason that you were brought into this world. Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog."_

I was shocked. _How could I be so stupid!?_ My eyes glanced down as a lonely tear fell out of my eye. Very softly, Amy called me. "Shadow?" _She must be shocked to see me cry. _"Shadow?" Amy was watching me in amazement as she watched my cheek, staring at the trail the tear left under my ruby eyes. I closed my eyes and clenched my fist. "I am sorry. I have a promise to keep." My voice was softer. I faced her shimmering emerald eyes. _She has beautiful eyes._ "You told me what my promise is. Thank you, Amy," I stopped to embrace her, startling her to no end. She gasped as she was in my arms. I could feel her warmth and soft cheeks. Her cheeks were blushing without mercy, redder than her pink fur. "I must go. I will keep this promise for Maria and you..." I dashed down the hallway, leaving the cute girl behind me. I had a promise to keep...


	8. Glimmer of Hope

**Age of Darkness**

Chapter VIII

_Glimmer of Hope_

* * *

The Biolizard was a great ordeal. Things did not go as planned. Biolizard literally scared me to death when she messed things up! Since she did, I decided to consider our fight as an event that that does not go together with this story. It is too scary for this rating! If you really wish to see it, look for the story _Hairball_.

Three of us were standing before the Master Emerald. Biolizard vanished leaving me utterly stunned. "Did that thing just Chaos Control!?" I stared at the platform where she was, and Eggman's voice spoke out from the walls. "Sonic! Shadow! Bad news!" "What is it?" Sonic asked as his eyes widened. "The Biolizard has attached itself to the colony. It is determined to steer the colony to the planet." "What! Knuckles cancelled the Crystals! How could it move the colony?" I asked. "Bio has its own energy source, a powerful one. It is using it to move the colony. And gravity is helping it." Sonic looked at me. "We have no time to waste!"

We had five minutes to stop the colony from crashing into the planet. By the time you finished in the bathroom, the world would be gone! _Time to go._ Sonic and I started to focus on the Chaos Crystals. For some reason that I could not place at that time, I felt at peace. I _was_ glad to fulfill the promise, but that was not why I felt peaceful. _Why do I feel different? I do not get it. _

I had no time to muse on the subject for we both used Chaos Control to get out of the colony after we heard what happened and transformed. I was outside in the vacuum of space with Sonic nearby. Since his eyes were red after he transformed, we looked more alike than ever before. _Oh well._ The colony was huge, and we were at the tip of the nose with the beast. The Earth was very large now. Sonic and I were on fire. A golden light enveloped both of us, and we both had shining golden fur. "Shadow, look!" Sonic pointed at the Biolizard, and on its neck was a large swell. "Let's attack that! Ready?" I nodded with a smirk. Sonic rushed forward and smashed into the swell. The beast twisted in pain. _Wait! I thought there was no air in space! How can I here Sonic?_ _It is telepathy, Shadow! We are both Super, and now we can hear each other._ I was surprised by hearing Sonic's thoughts. _Two golden hedgehogs are fighting to save the world._

A second boil appeared on the monster. "It is my turn!" I charged forward and smashed into the boil. Pus was spilled on my fur. _Eww!_ The pus boiled away because I was in Super form. _Cool! Go Sonic!_ Sonic complied. _Shadow, we need to take turns. If we do not, we both will run out of energy and die. _I realized his statement was true. I flew closer to the beast and was ready to strike it on the head, but then Bio looked at me and shot a large ball of energy at me. _If I get hit, I will lose energy._ I dove to avoid it, but I still had to strike the blister. _Bio has pimples? When did amphibians get pimples!?_ I thought jokingly. _Shadow, lizard is a reptile. __I know. Biolizard is actually a salamander. It has no scales. It has slimy skin. It was a salamander originally._ I waited for Sonic to harass the beast.

Earth was getting closer by the second. _Whoa! We are falling pretty fast! Hurry up and attack it. _As I neared the beast again, it shot three energy balls at me. _Oh no!_ One of the projectiles hit me, causing me to lose energy. I flew in again and struck the hateful thing. _Be careful, Sonic. The Biolizard is fighting back!_ I warned. I stayed near Sonic just in case. Biolizard fired again, and it was heading right for Sonic. I dashed in front of him and took the hit. _Shadow! What the heck are you doing!?_ _Sonic, I am low on energy. I did not fully recover from the first fight. I might not make it... Don't say that! We will get through this! _I crashed into the beast again, and the beast looked tired. _No Sonic. I started with half of the energy you have. _I could feel myself getting weaker by the second...

Sonic hit the beast one last time, and it fell off the colony, diving into the atmosphere. _Ready, Sonic?_ _Ready!_ Both of us looked at the colony and shouted two words. "Chaos Control!" The colony flickered green, and it was restored to orbit. I sighed. _Sonic, you do not have enough energy left to get home,_ I realized. _Yes I do! We can both go home! _His face cringed as I shook my head. "Sonic, I am the cause of all of this suffering. I have kept my promise, there is no reason to stay. I do not belong here, I never have." I pulled one of my bracelets off and put it in the hands of my temporary twin and sent him to the colony with the last bit of my energy... Sonic said one thing as I was returning him to the colony. "Shadow! Don't leave!" He was gone. The last bit of my energy was spent. My fur turned black and I was falling. The atmosphere started to burn my body hurting me immensely!

* * *

_Maria. This is the promise you wanted, right? This is my promise I made to you. Now that it is kept, I can finally rest in peace..._ I closed my eyes and awaited my death. My fur was burning off of my skin. I was in agony once again. Pain left my body as my life slipped away...

I appeared in a blue sky filled with puffy clouds. I was not burning. I felt no pain."Shadow?" Said a gentle voice. _MARIA! I will see you again!_ My heart lifted as I heard her. "No, Shadow." I was stunned. _WHAT! BUT I COMPLETED YOUR PROMISE!_ "No, Shadow. Go back. These people love you. That is why you feel peaceful." _I thought it was you!_ My eyes watered. "No, silly! It is them. They love you." After she repeated that word, I broke out in sobs. _They... __love__ me?_ I asked again. "Yes Shadow. They love you. If you die, they will miss you so much."_ Maria! I miss you so much!_ "I can wait for you, Shadow. Time is nothing in Heaven. It is down there. They will miss you. They love you Shadow! Sonic! Knuckles! Tails! Amy! Rouge! All of them love you!" I felt hot tears leave my ruby eyes. _Why?_ Maria appeared before me. I gasped in shock. _"_Because you love them. You are a hero. You died not only to keep your promise. You died because you love them. Now, go back. Go back, Shadow. Live. Laugh. Love. God wants you to have a good life. Your life has been filled with death, not life. It is filled with grief, not laughter. It is filled to the brim with hate, not love." I teared up more and smiled for the first time in years. I realized that I really do love them. "I will, Maria..."

* * *

_The End_


End file.
